Good News Thread

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
I'd like to start a thread where people can report back on good/successful outcomes of issues raised on DR1. So many things do get raised & then we never hear any more. For example, remember the child in this thread?
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/76331-sick-little-boy-needs-help.html

Just because the thread was closed did not mean that efforts ceased. There has been magnificent work done by the OP jojo2130. La Profe has also been working tirelessly. Mirador (someone who posted here in the past) was most helpful with some contacts. Support has also come from JD & HB. That is the people you are familiar with. Alongside those has been an army of fundraisers & supporters, personal friends of jojo2130 & personal friends of mine, not DR1 posters but for example a really helpful man in Patterson, New Jersey co-ordinating the Rotary Club. And on & on.

I am happy to report that this child has now been accepted on to the International Children's Heart Foundation from Tennessee programme. This group of surgeons visit the DR several times a year. This child is scheduled for heart surgery in October in Santiago. Some of the funds thus far raised will be given to the child's mother for after care medications & the balance will be donated to the International Children's Heart Foundation so that some other little 7 year old can be made whole again. Of course, it is a big operation & the full outcome will not be known until several months afterwards. But, we all remain hopeful of long term success. A heartfelt thank you to all those who have helped or shown interest.

OK that's my good news (good? It's GREAT! :)). What's yours? Any successful outomes to report? It is my hope that the thread could become a collection of good news stories on various topics which have resulted from a posting or question on DR1. I appreciate that some may want to crack funnies but would appeal that such responses really are funny & contain an element of good news ;) . Thank you.
 

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
The only input I can contribute here is to donate Baseball everything, as a gift to enrich this country and your spirit.

Throw in some dolls and clothes, but my next donation will be the gloves.

The income from that should feed the rest of the country?
 

fightfish

New member
Jan 11, 2008
505
6
0
Good news thread is an awesome idea. Thanks for posting it! I always thought a good news news channel would do well on tV. It would be a stark contrast to the 'news' we normally see covered!
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,829
329
0
79
www.casabush.org
There is such a WEALTH of good news available to us if we wish to post it, perhaps we should not be too lazy or critical & write about it more often. Yes, there will be some contentious posts but if the moderators/admin guys can just be a little patient with the posters, I am sure the GOOD intentions will show through clearly (If NOT ........ we can ask one of the vigilante groups to pay a visit!!:cheeky: ;) :pirate:)

Remember the Beggar at the Casa de Cultura? Good news to come on him!!
Remember the guys who we helped on the Golf Teachers course?? Good news to come on them too!
Ken got loads of help & some money got paid to a Dominican Coconut seller - I am sure there is more good news from that too which has not yet been posted on the thread they started. Look forward to hearing about those here.

Hey ............ I found that when I got up this morning I was still alive, (OK, so some of you might not think that was GOOD news!!) I was smiling, the sun was shining & I was able to afford some breakfast.

Anyone else got some good news like that?? ~ Grahame.
 
Aug 21, 2007
3,030
1,967
113
This is not a charitable deed, nor is it a story of great magnitude, but it DID make my day special.

I was in the checkout line of Playero. A Dominican man got into line behind me. While my cart was full, he held only a package of meat in his hand. After a couple of minutes in line, I turned around to him and told him (in Spanish, if that makes any difference) that since I had many things and he had only one, I would like him to go ahead of me.

He thanked me and moved ahead in line. But- instead of leaving it at that, he proceeded to turn around and unload my cart for me.

I thanked him. He paid his bill. But, before he walked out, he turned around and thanked me one more time.

Mother Theresa said that peace begins with a smile.

I believe the world can change one kind deed at at time.

Lindsey
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rocky

peteclaffey

New member
Apr 30, 2006
160
8
0
for those who remember the "have a Heart " thread I am pleased to post the good news that Ken , after making a remarkable recovery gives his daughters hand in marraige this coming Monday , the coconut seller is also improving each day.
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
LindseyKaufman, that is just one of those cameo experiences that makes one hold on to your trust and believe in the good of humanity .. no matter what you see around you daily. ;)
 

A.Hidalgo

Silver
Apr 28, 2006
3,268
98
0
Nothing out of this world but two summers ago I met a family of four in Costambar. A mom and three little girls, dirt poor. I was swimming and they came in and they came in and we became friends. For the next week or so I helped them out fed them and helped with some money. I convinced my mom to go with me one of those days and she met them and gave them some counseling. That feeling of helping is like no other.

Last year I tried looking for them but never seen them again. They lived in that barrio at the entrance to Costambar. I inquired about them with no luck as I never seen their home. I do hope they are ok and will try to track them down as the girls had no birth certificates and I know I can get that for them without much problem.

2ykkf3q.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
Nothing out of this world but two summers ago I met a family of four in Costambar. A mom and three little girls, dirt poor. I was swimming and they came in and they came in and we became friends. For the next week or so I helped them out fed them and helped with some money. I convinced my mom to go with me one of those days and she met them and gave them some counseling. That feeling of helping is like no other.

Last year I tried looking for them but never seen them again. They lived in that barrio at the entrance to Costambar. I inquired about them with no luck as I never seen their home. I do hope they are ok and will try to track them down as the girls had no birth certificates and I know I can get that for them without much problem.

2ykkf3q.jpg

Mercedes, our cleaning lady lives in that barrio. Next time she's here & I have the computer on I'll ask her to take a look at your photo to see if she knows them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

mike l

Silver
Sep 4, 2007
3,157
466
0
I will also donate a case of Hydrogen Peroxide for Oral Hygene as 4 out of 5 dentists recommend this as the best way to clean one's Mouth.

Please tell us where we can help!
 
Last edited:

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,829
329
0
79
www.casabush.org
I will also donate a case of Hydrogen Peroxide for Oral Hygene as 4 out of 5 dentists recommend this as the best way to clean one's Mouth.
:cheeky::cheeky: Are you trying to TEMPT me Mike1??:cheeky::cheeky:
Nice one if you are making referrence to the other thread!!;)!!

Please tell us where we can help!
Anywhere & EVERYwhere, but do it in small doses to start with & follow through to the bitter end!! THEN post 'The Good News' here so others may follow your example!! ~ Grahame.
 

leehall

New member
Oct 24, 2006
195
6
0
Not sure if this is relevant or not....

7-8 yrs ago, I started reading the threads on DR1 and it scared me senseless about living here. I could not afford to reire on any other Caribbean isalnd and Central America did not interest me. I was so aware and nervous of people around me, that it felt like I was in in Tower of London in tourist season looking out for pickpockets. I have had some horrible experinces and would not wish it on anyone. However, I am fortunate in that I have the financial ability to play back against the culture that hits ex-pats when they arrive and due to DR1, I was prepared and pre-armed.

With the knowledge from reading these forums I have limited my losses to a couple of hundred pesos at a time from Dominicans. One thing that I have not seen a lot in reality of living here, is that foreigners will try to take you for a lot more and that is what I have learnt during my time HERE.
 

granca

Bronze
Aug 20, 2007
1,418
48
0
87
Apart from one very noisy musical man, in our quiet pueblocito we have very nice neighbours. They frequently bring round to the house all kinds of goodies,platanos, avocados, mangos, weird dominican cherries, coconuts and other things. They never ask for money. We reciprocate by supplying well water for washing and cooking, for the rest they continue to use the filthy river. On occasions we allow the kids to use our pool, give them lifts on the quad bike to the corner shop (max load has been 8 kids!!). For this latter we now have an automatic garden door opening and closing service ,courtesy of the kids. I recently was talking to one of the neighbours asking who the owner of a certain tree was as it was beginning to effect our satellite signal. Mysteriously the tree disappeared overnight and nobody said a word to me! I like it here very much,lots of things dominican are great, particularly my wife.
 

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
2,940
390
83
www.hispanosuizainvest.com
Good new is....

Good new is Melani has just completed her first week in regular private school together with her "cousin" Nicol.
Some of you may remember Melani's story from this thread:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/74902-can-anyone-help-me-help-kid-sorry-l-o-n-g-post.html

She has attended private tutoring for about 3 months now, which miraculously propelled her, from being virtually unable to draw a letter to have some basic reading and writing skills and being able to perform some basic mathematics with numbers up to 10. All which allowed her to be accepted a the New Life school in La Mulate of Sosua.
I am very proud of her and this pays many times over for all the time and monies invested... an investment of which I feel quite confident will be a success.

Since others have offered to help financially and some already did chipping in some of their time and connections, I am thinking about eventually setting up a foundation so to offer similar help to other kids.

As of my calculations and experience so far, it may take about USD 1700.oo a year to send a kid to a private school, all inclusive (school, books, pencils, uniform, transport, break lunch and after school homework classes). As they come from poor families, which thus have a low level of eduction, I have come to realize that adding after school home work classes may be pivotal in order to reach a chance for success.

Melani now has a CHANCE and she seems to embrace it will all her energy and it is beautiful to be able to witness a child like her blossom.

Anyways, I think it is good and it has added a lot of pleasure, satisfaction and maybe sense to my life here too.


Btw: this post is NOT a plea for donations or help. I MAY setup a foundation at a later time, which may generate dedicated threads about that subject then.

... J-D.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
This is pretty minor compared to all the heartwarming stories here, but yesterday I sang happy birthday to my step son. No big deal apart from the fact that a year ago I couldn't sing and could hardly speak but thanks to Hillbilly, Lambada and Bushbaby who gave advice and helped, I had an operation on my throat and now I can not only speak and be heard but now sing too.

Mucho good news!!!!!!

Matilda
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chirimoya
Aug 21, 2007
3,030
1,967
113
This is pretty minor compared to all the heartwarming stories here, but yesterday I sang happy birthday to my step son. No big deal apart from the fact that a year ago I couldn't sing and could hardly speak but thanks to Hillbilly, Lambada and Bushbaby who gave advice and helped, I had an operation on my throat and now I can not only speak and be heard but now sing too.

Mucho good news!!!!!!

Matilda

Nope, Matilda, if that isn't BIG, nothing is! I am as happy for your step-son as I am for you!

And, yes, Hillbilly, Lambada, and Bushbaby are also part of the good news story. They have generously helped countless, while asking nothing in return.

Lindsey
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
Great to hear about Melani, about Waltzing Matilda becoming Singing Matilda, about Lindsey Kaufman's courtesy plus experience, about A.Hidalgo's Javillar experience (scouts are out looking!), about granca's Good Neighbourhood lifestyle.

Please keep them coming................:)
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
9,478
410
0
80
www.ginniebedggood.com
Last year I tried looking for them but never seen them again. They lived in that barrio at the entrance to Costambar. I inquired about them with no luck as I never seen their home. I do hope they are ok and will try to track them down as the girls had no birth certificates and I know I can get that for them without much problem.

2ykkf3q.jpg

My scouts have reported back.:) This lady still lives in the same place. If you go to the farmacia in that barrio and ask for Ramona they will tell you where she lives. The other place you can find her is lunchtime at the Comida Economico on Avenida Colon. Ain't no secrets in Puerto Plata :cheeky:. I'll email you later today after I get back from downtown with more detail.